A Banana A Day
by pink-neon
Summary: Why does Goku like Sanzo so much" "I don't know." "Because Sanzo looks like a banana. And, well, monkeys love bananas, right" SanzoOc
1. Bath Robed Girl

_A BANANA A DAY_

_Chapter 1: Bath robed Girl_

_By: Pink Neon_

_  
_RIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGGGGG!

Sparkling eyes of gray blue opened and flashed n irritation. A hand slowly crept to the bedside table where it hit the snooze button of a small alarm clock. A slender body rose up from the mass of thick, deep purple comforter and moved around the brightly lit room.

Pale skin like the moon, straight ebony black hair and long eyelashes stared back at a girl of nineteen. A yawn escaped her pouting lips as she lowly picked up the brush on her dresser and combed her long hair.

Half awake, with zombie-like movements, she went to the bathroom connected to her room and stripped, carelessly discarding her dirty clothes on the floor in a mess. She dipped her foot in the bathtub and smiled groggily.

_Good. The water's hot enough._ She happily soaked inside the tub, feeling the hot water burn her skin. It was a pleasing sensation that simply relaxes her tired muscles. An hour ago, she woke up, courtesy of her elder brother Seth, in order to fill the tub with water and then slept again. So it was to her surprise that the water was still hot.

She, unlike other people who bathe in cold water in showers, wanted it hot, just like those in hot springs in Japan. Being a body conscious, vain girl, she loved to follow all sorts of regimens to ensure her beauty. That is one reason why she usually spend a few hours or so everyday in the lavatory or at the spa or parlor.

As if she wasn't spoiled enough. Her parents were very wealthy and quite famous in their respective fields, her father being a high-ranked politician and her mother a successful businesswoman. So if she were to be asked what else in the world she wanted, it would never be money. She had enough gadgets, clothes, food and cars to spend her a lifetime.

Her thoughts wandered to the dream she had last night. Someone was calling her name over and over again amidst the white background and as time passed, the voice gets louder and louder. Then, the scene changed and she found herself in a prison, with four men. She couldn't remember their faces at all, but she felt some sort of thing pulling them to her. Maybe they were some long lost relatives or friends. Or perhaps some deceased people who have some last minute messages before going to the afterworld? She did not know. And it didn't help matters that it wasn't the only time the strange dream appeared to her.

_Damn. I should've paid more attention to psychology class._ Slowly getting out of the tub, she dried her body with a towel and put on her black bathrobe. It was her favorite because the black made her skin look whiter and paler. Contrary to most girls, she didn't like being tan. According to her, it made her look like coffee. And she bloody hated coffee.

"You'll be late for school, you know."

Annoyance flashed in her eyes. "I know," she snapped as she searched her drawers for a sign of her lip gloss. Then she froze. _Wait a minute! Seth's voice doesn't sound like that! _She turned around and did a double take.

There enough, near the doorway, stood the strangest woman she had ever seen. Well, at least she thought she was a woman, judging from her long wavy black hair and slightly revealing white dress that clung to her body like glue. A smile was tugging at the corner of her red lips. There was also this brightness that seemed to be coming from her.

"W-who the hell are you! And what do you think you're doing in my bathroom?" Fear was quite evident in her face. She figured this was another one of those kidnappers who wanted her for her parents' money. _And she sure as hell doesn't look like one of the new maids._

"I'm Kanzeon Bosatsu," the woman told her, eyes sparkling.

"Kan-what? That's the weirdest name I've ever heard! Well, weirder than my name, that is!"

"In English, it's translated as _Merciful Goddess_."

She laughed, momentarily forgetting her fears. "What on earth possessed your mother to name you that! You're one heck of a weirdo," she said.

Kanzeon smiled again, a creepy smile that says "Something's gonna happen". "So, how's life?" she inquired.

The girl rolled her eyes at her. "Oh, puh-leaze! Don't go all shitty on me. If you're as well going to kidnap me, go ahead and do it fast. If you don't mind, I want to be home by dinnertime. They cook fettuccini on Fridays, you know. And don't worry, Daddy pays faster than you can say 'GO'!"

"You think I'm going to kidnap you?"

"Well, duh! But if you aren't, I request you do. I really don't want to go to school right now. I have an Algebra test that I don't think I could pass," she replied. If there's one thing she hated more than crabs, it would be Math. She completely sucked at that specific subject.

"Do you hate school?" Kanzeon Bosatsu asked.

"What a question! Of course I do! In fact, if it weren't for my parents, I wouldn't even be attending that pathetic place," she said bitterly.

"Then you don't mind if I take you to a place far away from school?"

"Oh, for the love of God! Didn't I give you permission to kidnap me already!"

Kanzeon laughed. "Are you sure? Because once you say yes there's no turning back."

"I'm positive! I'd do anything to skip Math!"

"Good. I'm afraid your help will be much needed. Say hi to Konzen and the others for me."  
"Wha?" Those were the last words the Goddess spoke before a light so bright hit Hades Greich and she felt like falling and being sucked by some unknown gravity. Literally.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Sha Gojyo was a normal half-breed. He did not consider himself crazy. No one called him crazy. Nor was he placed in places were crazy people dwell. Although he knew his companions were crazy, especially the great Sanzo, he believed that they did not affect his state of mind that much. But now the time has come for him to be put to the test. For the first time in his life, Sha Gojyo doubted if he was indeed normal.

"Oy, Goku."

The young boy, who a moment ago was staring blankly at the passing scenery, looked at Gojyo with intense golden eyes. "What, water sprite?"

"I think I'm going nuts."

Goku grinned. "You think?"

"No, I'm serious here, monkey boy. I'm having a vision of a beautiful girl in a bathrobe lying on my lap. And oddly enough, she feels real," Gojyo said.

Goku blinked and his eyes widened in shock. "Go-Gojyo! I see it too!" he exclaimed.

"Then maybe you're mad too," Gojyo slurred.

"S-Sanzo! H-Hakkai!" Gok shouted.

The two remaining companions on the front, who were enjoying the unusual silence from Gojyo who haven't gone to annoy people and Goku who haven't said "I'm hungry!" a dozen times like before (this has something to do with Sanzo's gun and his temper. Go figure) turned their attention to them. Hakkai gasped when he saw the girl while Sanzo merely glared.

"Is she an angel?" Goku asked, peering at the girl with curiosity.

"No, I don't think so, Goku," Hakkai told him.

Just then, the lady stirred. A pair of marvelous gray-blue eyes stared back at them. She took a while in observing the jeep, the sand, the heat and the people surrounding her. "Ahhhh!" she exclaimed when she saw the position she was in with Gojyo. She hastily leapt to her feet, her finely shaped eyebrows connecting in confusion. "Who-who are you!"

"We could ask the same of you," Sanzo drawled. And soon, the barrel of a dangerous looking gun was pointed on the stranger's forehead, making her more nervous.

The girl's eyes widened. She was speechless.

"I said, who are you?" Sanzo said, getting annoyed at the girl's silence. "Are you another one of Kougaiji's assassins?"

The stranger laughed; a pleasant sound like the tingling of bells. "Assassin? Are you kidding me? I haven't even touched a gun in my entire life! Well, assassins are pretty cool, so I'll take that as a compliment."

Sanzo's violet eyes narrowed.

Hakkai looked at him. "Sanzo, I don't think she's from Kougaiji's. She's human and Kougaiji most likely hires demons to do the work," he reasoned.

The stranger looked at them as if they just sprouted another head. "Demons? They're not real! There's no such thing as demons! Who are you guys? From the moon?" she said, amusement in her voice.

Goku looked lost. "Huh? Of course demons are real. In fact, I'm a de-" Gojyo stepped on his foot in order to keep him from talking. "Ouch! That hurt, you perverted water sprite!"

Sanzo stared at the weird girl as he pocketed his gun. She was unlike any woman he had ever seen. She was probably not from here, judging fro her clothes and her attitude. He had never met anyone who haven't heard of demons or thought them as myths or folklore. Unless of course she was lying, which he didn't think she was.

On the other side of the jeep, the stranger was thinking the same exact thing. _These guys sure don't look from LA. Just look at their weird clothes! And who on earth rides a car like this one? Hmmm…maybe they're from the circus…_

"So, miss," Hakkai began, keeping his cool, as usual. "Let's assume you're not from around here. Can we ask you some questions?"

The girl nodded.

Gojyo leaned in, deciding the moment he saw her that she would make a kissing partner, and whispered in her ear, "Can I kiss you?"

The girl looked at him. "You're sick!" Then she looked Gojyo over and smirked. "On the other hand, you look kinda cute…So let me think about it."

Gojyo smirked back. "Take your time," he said, flashing her the trademark "I-want-you" smile.

"Oh please," Goku said, rolling his eyes.

"Ahem! So…" Hakkai said. "What's your name?"

"Hades Greich. But feel free to call me Hae."

The four guys looked at her.

"That's the weirdest name I've ever heard!" Goku said.

Hades sighed. "Don't think I don't know. You see, my mother has this odd fascination for Greek Mythology and when I was born, she named me after the first person that came to her mind. And surprise, surprise, it was that god."

"She named you after a god?" Gojyo asked dubiously.

"Yes. The God of the Underworld," Hades said, scowling. _Why not the Goddess of Love instead?_ Speaking of Goddess, memories of a certain someone came crashing down on her. She gasped. "Goddess…! Oh, I remember!" she exclaimed.

"Remember what?"

Hades nervously fiddled with her ring. "I remember what happened to me a while ago! I was just finished taking a bath when this freaky woman appeared in front of me, starting to ask all sorts of questions," she spoke.

"Go on."

"And then, she asked me if I would like to go somewhere far away from home and I…I…Oh, I can't believe it! I said yes!" Hades groaned, cursing her stupidity.

"You agreed a stranger to take you away?" Sanzo looked at her as if she was crazy.

Hades sighed yet again. "Well, I thought she was another one of my kidnappers! I mean, how else can she get into my room unnoticed?"

"Why would someone kidnap you?" Goku asked.

"Because," Hades said exasperatedly, "my parents are famous and rich. They want their money."

"Oh."

"And then what happened?" Hakkai asked.

Hades tried to remember. "This blinding light surrounded me. But before that, the woman who looked like a man told me, 'I'm afraid your help will be needed. Say hi to Konzen and the others for me'." She said. "Whoever they are."

Hakkai had a sneaking suspicion how this girl Hades came to be. "Sanzo?" he asked quietly The blonde nodded his head. _He knows. _"Hades? Is the woman you saw called Kanzeon Bosatsu?"

Hades' eyes popped out of their sockets. "Oh my god! Yes! Do you know him? I mean, her? Can you help me find her?"

"Well, I-"

"Is someone looking for me?"

All five almost had a heart attack. Well, all except the composed Sanzo, that is. Kanzeon Bosatsu smiled at them. "Long time no see," she said as she took a seat beside Goku. How the hell they could all fit in one jeep remains a miracle.

Sanzo was about to release his wrath on the Goddess but Hades beat him to it, her figure towering, eyes blazing. "Now listen up, you woman who looks like a man! When I say kidnap me, I didn't say drop me into a place full of weirdos who believe in demons and have absolutely no fashion sense! It hasn't even been an hour but I can practically feel my skin melting at the heat! What is this place? The Sahara! And don't give me that smile of yours or I'll wipe it off your ugly face! I want answers and I want it NOW!" she said all these in one breathe.

Goku, Gojyo and Hakkai gaped at her. Even Sanzo looked quite amazed. "Wow. Quite the fighter, eh?" Gojyo said. "And I'll have you know, this bandana is absolutely stylish."

"I believe I also need an explanation," Sanzo growled, his gun pointed at Kanzeon Bosatsu. Behind him, Hades gasped.

The Goddess smirked. "Go ahead. Shoot me."

And Sanzo did. A loud BANG was heard, together with Hades' shriek. She didn't freak out because of Sanzo's gun but because of the fact that the bullet just passed the Goddess' face. _So she really isn't human._

The Goddess chuckled. "You just enjoy shooting me, do you, Konzen?"

Hades scowled. "What! So this blonde's Konzen, the one I was talking about? Why didn't anyone tell me!"

"I'm not Konzen!" Sanzo said through gritted teeth.

"Then…who are- argh! I'm getting more and more confused! Would someone care to explain everything that's happening right now?" Hades said, feeling as if she'd be sick.

"I will. Things tend to get boring when you lot are confused," The Goddess said.

"Ok. So first question, why the heck am I here? And what is this place?" Hades asked at once.

"That's two questions," Goku told her.

Hades ignored him.

"Didn't you say you'd do anything to avoid school? Well, here's your chance. And besides, watching these four from above is getting pretty boring. So I decided to add you to the group. By the way, this is Tougenkyo."

Hades was stunned. "Are you trying to tell me I'm here for nothing! I'm no guinea pig you can just te-teleport or something! And where the hell is Tougenkyo? Japan!"

Kanzeon Bosatsu smiled. "No. You're in another world, Hades Greich," she explained.

"WHAT!"

Hades wasn't the onlyone who shouted.

"I didn't know you were capable of bringing people from other worlds, Kanzeon Bosatsu," Hakkai said, quite shaken at the sudden revelation.

"Of course I can, Tenpou. Although the process could be a little tiring…"

"So, what exactly am I going to do here then? What about my parents? They'll be worried!" Hades said.

"That will be taken care of. You are now officially the fifth member of Sanzo's party. You will join them in their journey to the west and stop the resurrection of Gyumaoh, a powerful being who took many lives in the past."

Hades' jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" she exclaimed, allowing her brain a few more seconds to process the heavy information. "You're sending me to die! Hello! I'm only nineteen! I'm no Lord of the Rings material! I don't know anything about saving the world and playing hero!"

Gojyo grinned. "Alright! A chick on board!" he said.

"Do you know how to cook?" Goku asked hopefully.

Sanzo was not too happy with this. "I'm not taking any burdens around! I have enough dealing with these three and going to the west!" he snarled, his facial muscles hardening.

But to everyone's surprise, _again, _the Merciful Goddess was already gone. Sanzo furiously shot at the air.

"Damn you old hag!"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

To a girl who was pampered since the day she was born, it was almost impossible to adjust and fit in around a bunch of misfits who each have a story of their own. The cute brown-haired guy with the most heart-melting smile she had ever seen, and who she later on found out was named Goku, simply made her laugh at his silly antics and his occasional saying of "I'm hungry!" Not to be left behind was the enigmatic Gojyo who enjoyed torturing Goku a lot. She at first thought that his red eyes were only contacts but later found out that they were real. Next was Hakkai with his green eyes and trademark smile. Hades wondered how he always seemed to be unfazed whenever Goku and Gojyo bicker. And lastly, there was the blonde monk Sanzo. Of all the four, he was the one Hades hated the most. He barely talked and was always frowning, yelling, pointing his gun and beating the two men at the back with his infamous paper fan. Hades wasn't even sure if he knew how to smile.

_Too bad. He's quite handsome. _Hades thought, smiling.

"What are you smiling about? Thinking of another way to trick me?" Sanzo said, glaring at her in the rearview mirror.

Hades smirked. Ever since the Goddess left her under these guys' care, she had taken the liberty to be the most annoying person in Sanzo's eyes. She couldn't blame herself, for he was the one who started the "fight", by calling her stupid and a burden. So far, she had already received twenty threats and sported several bruises, much to her displeasure. But it was all worth it anyway. "As a matter of fact, Goldilocks, yes. Got a problem with that?" she said sweetly.

Sanzo just Tch-ed. "Just shut up," he growled.

Goku abandoned his fight with Gojyo. "Who is Goldilocks, Hades?" he asked.

Hades grinned. "Oh, Goldilocks is someone from a famous bedtime story. See, she is a little girl with golden yellow hair, just like Sanzo's. Perhaps you'd like to hear that story later, Goku?"

Goku's eyes lightened. "Really? You'll tell me a story? Yay!" he exclaimed, jumping with joy. "Did you hear that Sanzo? Hades will tell me a story!"

Hakkai looked at Hades. "You love kids, don't you?"

Hades smiled a faint smile. "Not really. It's just that…I never had a little brother or sister…That's one thing my parents couldn't give me," she said softly, allowing the wind to blow her raven black tresses.

For a while, there was silence. Goku and Gojyo had stopped arguing and had resolved to be lost in their own thoughts. She squirmed in her seat beside Goku and decided to annoy Sanzo again. "Hey Goldilocks, can I ask you a question?"

Sanzo glared at her. "What?" he said irritably.

"I was just wondering...exactly how old are you?"

"It's none of your damn business," Sanzo replied curtly.

Hades grinned. "I'm guessing you're already 42. Am I right?" she teased, enjoying the expression on Sanzo's face.

A vein throbbed on Sanzo's forehead. "Shut up," he snarled.

"So you are 42?"

"No," Sanzo grumbled.

"Really?" Hades said, feigning shock. "Why, I'm so sorry! But I thought…with your wrinkles and droopy eyes…"

"I said shut up!" That was the final straw for Sanzo. He threw his fan and it hit Hades' head.

"Ouch!" Hades exclaimed as she threw back the paper fan at Sanzo, who just caught it easily in his hand like a boomerang. "Why'd you do that for! You're jealous of my face, aren't you, O Wrinkled One?"

"Stop calling me that, stupid girl."

The grin on Hades' face was now reaching her ears. "Then make me," she taunted.

"Would you two keep quiet? Hades, as much as I love you, babe, I can't stand the noise," Gojyo said. He had his hands on his head and his feet on top of Goku's sleeping form.

"And that comes from the guy who makes noise?" Hades said.

Gojyo just grinned. "You mean the most handsome and coolest guy ever?"

"Don't be too proud of yourself, cockroach," Hades told him, although she couldn't help but smile.

"Hakkai, how long until we reach the next village? I'm getting hungry," Gojyo asked. "Argh! Now I'm sounding like the monkey!"

Hakkai, who a while ago was preoccupied in driving, laughed. "Don't worry, Gojyo. In just a few hours, we'll be arriving there."

"That's good. I can't wait to see other people. I'm starting to worry you four would rub off of me. And I definitely need the change of scenery. Sanzo's droopy eyes aren't what I exactly call beautiful," Hades quipped.

If looks could kill, Hades would be lying dead on her seat right now. "Thank you for the praise, clumsy girl," Sanzo said sarcastically.

Hades blushed, possibly the first in front of Sanzo and the others. Although she knew Sanzo was just bugging her, she felt a little embarrassed. After all, it was true. She was very clumsy, as much as she hated herself for it. She would occasionally break her mother's antique vases, or lose her father's important documents, or trip on her way to her locker.

"You look cute when you blush," Gojyo said, smiling seductively.

Hades blushed more furiously. "I'm-not-blushing!" she exclaimed as she threw Sanzo a death glare.

"Oh, but you are," Gojyo teased.

"Whose side are you on?" Hades snapped.

"My side," Gojyo said.

"Humph," Hades said, sulking in her seat at the feeling of defeat. _I'll get you for this, you bald monk._

A few minutes have passed until Hades actually found a good insult for Sanzo. By this time, Goku had already woken and had demanded food right away, only to be shut up by Sanzo.

"Hey, guys?" she said.

"Yes?" Hakkai asked.

"Why does Goku like Sanzo so much?"

Hakkai and Gojyo, of course, knew why. But feeling Hades was planning something, they decided to humor her. "I don't know."

"Because Sanzo looks like a banana. And well, monkeys love bananas, right?"

Silence.

Then Gojyo was the first to dissolve into bouts of laughter. He clutched his laughing stomach and nearly cried. Hakkai followed soon. Goku looked clueless.

Sanzo, on the other hand, was far from laughing. He was red in the face and there was fire burning in his eyes. That was enough to make him so scary the others stopped laughing.

"What. Did. You. Say?" This quiet approach of his was by far his deadliest expression, promising death to whoever came in his way.

For a second, Hades thought of backing off, but she immediately pushed these thoughts at the back of her mind. "Nothing, _banana head._"

Goku blinked. "Banana? But Sanzo's the sun!" he said, clearly confused.

Now it was Hades' turn to laugh. "S-sun? Hahahaha!" She laughed so hard it hurt.

That was enough to make Sanzo erupt. He took out his gun and shot Goku. "Shut up, you stupid monkey!"

Goku ducked a passing bullet. "But Sanzo!" he whined. "I didn't do anything!"

Sanzo ignored him and pointed his gun at Hades, who was shouting, "Oh no! He's gone mad! I repeat: Banana head had gone mad! Everybody, run for cover! Call the mental hospital! 911!"

"Eek!" Hades exclaimed as Sanzo's gun nearly killed her. "Stop it! Banana head! I mean, Sanzo! I said stop it! At least let me die in my own world!"

Hakkai chuckled. "It sure is a peaceful day out here," he told Gojyo, who looked incredulously at him.

Beside them, the gunshots and screams continued.

_This is going to be a long night_.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A/N: Hey everyone! Please forgive me for this extremely weird fanfic. I'm in a very hyper mood due to the over consumption of chocolate…But I decided to post this anyway…So it's alright if you curse me to hell and back….I really don't mind!


	2. Demonic Welcome

_A Banana A Day_

_Chapter 2: Demonic Welcome_

_By: pink neon_

"Ugh."

Hades turned her head away from the bickering forms of Gojyo and Goku and shared a look at Hakkai, who in turn, smiled at her. The pair had started arguing over food upon reaching the nearest restaurant when they arrived at the village, which Hades noted was the worst ancient place she had ever seen, assuming she hadn't been to Rome. She thought they had at least a telephone, or television perhaps, but her hopes where greatly crushed upon seeing the simple clothes the villagers where wearing. But the feeling was mutual, that she was sure of. It wasn't surprising, since they don't see a strange bath robed girl accompanied by four guys traipse around town everyday. _Gods, they must have thought I was a weirdo…_

"Perverted water sprite! That's mine!"

"Says who? You couldn't possibly own this dumpling, do you, Goku?"

"Sanzo bought it for me!"

"Correction: The corrupt monk bought it for _us!"_

"No he didn't! He wouldn't buy something for a water sprite like you!"

"Is that the only insult you can think of, huh, stupid monkey?"

"I don't see you trying!"

Hades shook her head. Those two are hopeless. She unconsciously took a sip of her water. Or what she thought was her water. Several series of reactions crossed the poor girl's face and she immediately spit out what she drank, gaining the attention of everyone in the table.

Sanzo scowled as he put down the newspaper he was reading a while ago. "I don't think you're permitted to drink my beer, girl," he said icily, his eyes boring holes on Hades' head.

Hades looked flustered. "I didn't drink it on purpose!" she protested. "I thought…well, I thought it was water!"

Sanzo raised a blonde eyebrow. "You don't know the difference between a beer in a can and water in a glass?" he scoffed.

Hades' face turned redder than ever. "I-I…Ok! Ok! So I wasn't thinking straight! No big deal! Did you honestly think I would drink that pathetic excuse for a drink on purpose! Bleh! I don't know how you can stand that stuff!" she said indignantly.

Sanzo glared at her. "Proves how bad your taste is…" he growled. "…And how stupid everyone is in your world. You should bring Goku and Gojyo there."

The two guys mentioned, who had been watching the scene with interest, looked at the blonde.  
"Why you droopy eyed monk!" Gojyo sputtered as he rose from his seat. "Are you picking a fight with me!"

Goku, on the other hand, was clueless to the insult. "Where are Sanzo bringing us? Is it somewhere with food?" he asked hopefully at Hakkai, the only sane person he could think of.

Hakkai chuckled. "You see, Goku…"

But Hades interrupted them. "Hey! Don't you guys go interrupting us! I'm not even done fighting with Goldilocks!" she said, motioning to Sanzo. "Go reschedule your own fight later!"

Everyone looked at her.

"Riiiiiight…." Gojyo said, unable to believe what she just said. _And I thought I never met someone as crazy as the monk._

Hades looked at Sanzo. "So? You were saying?"

Sanzo sent her an annoyed look. "Do not call me that horrid name," he said, pronouncing each word slowly, sending chills down everyone's spine.

Smiling far too sweetly for her own good, Hades replied, "Ok, insufferable monk."

Sanzo angrily pulled out his gun. And the rest, as they say, is history. The innocent diners in the restaurant all looked fearfully and shocked at the group and the owner was nervously twisting his hands on his back, afraid to talk to Sanzo.

_Now who's behaving like a wild animal? _Hades would have loved to say that out loud but decided against it. After all, what could be more frightening than an irritated blonde monk? A Sanzo with a gun.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Having had enough practice convincing parents to buy the latest car or add another gold credit card to her collection, it didn't take a while before Hades finally persuaded Sanzo to loan her his Three Aspects card to go buy "some" necessities, namely; clothes, shoes and things for personal hygiene. Of course, it would have taken longer if it weren't for Hakkai's help and a few tips from Goku, who knew the rules of "How to get a monk to buy you food" by heart.

"Are you sure you don't need my help?" Gojyo had said before she had left the inn they were staying that night. But Hades had refused, knowing the redhead only wanted to see her try out clothes and see how well she looked on it.

So here she was, exploring the small shops around town, hoping to come across good finds. Hades looked around the brightly lit room of "Mia's Clothing Shop". The words were written in Japanese, but having had a language tutor ever since she was young, translation was a piece of cake for her.

_Hmm. I think I look good on this one. But...the red looks so much better…_Hades frowned at herself in front of the full length mirror. No matter what she did, the clothes she had tried on looked like they just came from a Chinese antique shop. _Maybe I should improvise a little…_

A few hours later, Hades Greich entered the inn, dressed in something resembling flared jeans and a tank top that have the words "I see dumb people" she had painted in Japanese, only, the material was made of something different. A bright colored scarf was also tied to her waist.

The four guys stared at her.

"You look cute," Gojyo said, grinning cheekily from his position on the bed.

"You look stupid," Sanzo, who was smoking by the window, told her. "I only allowed you to use the card to buy clothes to stop making you look weird, but now you look weirder."

Hades stuck out her tongue at him. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Sanzo-_sama,_" she snapped as she sat on the foot of one of the two beds.

"By the way, we're not going to share this one room, are we?" Hades asked, dreading the answer.

Hakkai chuckled. "Of course not," he said at the same time Gojyo said "Yes". "We managed to get three rooms. Now all we have to do is split them up."

"I'm not going to room with Gojyo!" Goku, who had been busy eating meat buns earlier, exclaimed.

"And I know you know I want to," Gojyo said sarcastically. "I'm all up for Hades."

Hades wrinkled her nose. Somehow having a pervert inside sleeping quarters was not so appealing to her. "No! I get the room by myself," she said.

"No fair!" Goku said indignantly.

"Sorry, Goku dear. But I am a lady. And you are all guys. So I get the room," Hades said, knowing no one could object. Except of course…

Sanzo scowled. "Are you forgetting something?" he drawled. "Who's paying here?"

"You have no manners whatsoever, banana head!" Hades retorted, crossing her arms. "Haven't you heard of the term 'Ladies first'?"

Hakkai held up his hands and decided to play peacemaker. "Now, now. Let's not argue. Why don't we settle this in a game? Whoever the winner is gets the spare room," he suggested.

Gojyo smirked. "Poker?"

Sanzo rolled his eyes. "So Hakkai can win?" he said sarcastically.

"Why not Paper-Stone-Scissors?" Goku recommended.

Hades grinned. "Paper-Stone-Scissors it is," she said.

"Alright then," Hakkai said, agreeing.

"Paper Stone Scissors!"

"Paper Stone Scissors!"

"Paper Stone Scissors!"

Silence.

" I can't believe I lost!" Goku wailed, pouting.

Hades glared at them. "Why on earth did Hakkai win? I thought he was just good at poker?" she asked irritated.

"He has the best luck of us all. You don't know how many times he won these kind of games," Gojyo told her.

Hades sighed. "Alright. So the bed goes to Hakkai."

Behind him, someone, or something "Kyuuu"-ed, causing Hades to scream.

"And Hakkuryu," Gojyo said.

After recovering from the shock of seeing something that might have passed as a white dragon, Hades, afraid to even touch it, said, "Hakkuryu? Is that the c-creature's name? Where did it come from?"

"Don't you know?" Goku said, looking confused. "It's Hakkai's. Haven't you seen Hakkuryu before? He's been with us all day."

Hades looked like she had just been run over by a car. "_What?"_

"The car we've been riding on, _that's _Hakkuryu," Gojyo pointed out, enjoying Hades' reaction.

Hades' jaw dropped to the floor. "Are you trying to tell me that a jeep can turn into an-an animal! That's-that's preposterous! It's just like saying that the moon came down on earth!" she exclaimed.

Sanzo merely raised an eyebrow. "No one is forcing you to believe this, so shut up already," he muttered darkly.

Hades glared daggers at him. "Easy for you to say," she mumbled.

"Because I'm not a coward like you?" Sanzo said.

"Excuse me? If you haven't noticed, I was quite traumatized here!" Hades said, huffing.

Gojyo snickered and even Hakkai managed a smile.

"Ok, so back to the room topic. Who's going to share whose room?" Hades said.

"Not the monkey," Gojyo said as soon as the question was asked.

"I'll pick Goku!" Hades said immediately. She didn't want to share rooms with Sanzo _or _Gojyo. And since Hakkai was out of the question, Goku was the only one suitable for a room mate.

"Aw! What about me? I'm hurt!" Gojyo said, pretending to die. "You dare leave me in the evil clutches of the corrupt-"

Before he could complete his sentence, Sanzo had already used his beloved fan.

Hades laughed as Gojyo muttered curse after curse.

Hakkai smiled. "So Goku it is," he said. "I'm sure Gojyo and Sanzo will go along pretty well."

Hades grinned. Too bad she didn't know Goku snores. Really loud.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

Hades tossed and turned. She tried counting sheep, singing songs softly under her breath and even listing insults to hurl at Sanzo in case the need rises, but to no avail. She could simply not sleep. Oh, how she envied Goku, who was the cause of all her distress.

_No wonder Gojyo don't want him as a room mate! He snores so loud, he's like a ship! Oh, my poor ears!_

So she just stared out the window and thought about her new life. Questions filled her head as she thought about her family's safety, how worried they probably were about her, how she could pass the school year due to her absences, how long she will manage to stay alive with these four.

But that's when she started hearing noises. At first, she thought she was just hallucinating or that this might be the effect of sleep overtaking her body, but as she listened, the sound grew louder. It sounded exactly like footsteps. But who could possibly be awake at a night like this?

Hades' heart thumped loudly in her chest as she heard the door to her room crack open with a squeak. _Damn! And I thought Goku locked the door! _

Ordering herself to calm down to better assess the situation, Hades closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.

"Wake up!" A hand crept up to her shoulder.

Hades opened one eye. It was Gojyo.

"Holy shit! Don't go scaring me like that! I thought there were intruders!" Hades told him angrily. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Gojyo sighed. "Good, you're up. Now if we could only wake up the monkey and Sanzo won't have a fit for once. I hope," he said.

Hades frowned. "And just why are we getting up? Surely, you're not thinking of traveling in the middle of the night, eh?" she inquired.

"No," Gojyo replied as he moved toward Goku's bed and tried his best to shake the brunette out of his slumber, but to no avail. "They damned couldn't wait until morning for us to make them toast. And I was in the middle of a very nice dream too. Oh, well."

"I still don't get you, you know. Who do you mean by 'they'?"

"Demons," Gojyo said simply.

Hades' eyes widened. "You mean, they're really real? No kidding?" she said in disbelief.

Gojyo smirked. "As real as the Merciful Goddess." He said.

"But why on earth are they attacking _us?" _Hades asked.

"I really like to chat with a beautiful girl like you, but we need to hurry up or we'll miss all the action. Don't want Sanzo and Hakkai to finish off our share of demons, right?"

Hades, still stunned by the sudden "attack" which she really have no idea about, could do nothing but nod her head.

"Wake up, stupid monkey!" Gojyo shouted, shaking Goku's shoulders and yelling at his ear.

At that same time, the windows shattered, to Hades' horror, and in came several demons, all looking at them with the need to kill written on their faces.

"There you are! Now, Sanzo-ikkou, DIE!" one of them said. And then all hell broke lose.

Some of the demons went to attack Gojyo with their claws, but Gojyo brought out a long, weird looking weapon, with a crescent blade attached to chains, which he called _shakujou. _He effortlessly sliced them to pieces, smirking and throwing insults all the same. Goku, on the other hand, rose from his bed, whacking demons that came close to him by his outstretched hands.

"I thought he was asleep!" Hades said, surprised.

Gojyo grinned. "He is," he replied.

Hades gaped. "Freaky!" she said as she dodged a demon's attack and sent a roundhouse kick at another one.

"You're so full of surprises. I didn't know you know martial arts," Gojyo told her as he stabbed another demon on the stomach. In a flash, the demon dropped dead.

Hades smirked. "Surprises, huh? Expect a lot more," she said. "As for the martial arts, I had been training for only two years, so don't think I'm an expert on this kind of stuff. I only know the basics," she admitted as she punched one demon. Her expression grew to something akin to disgust.

"Ughhhhhhh! Do you have any idea how gross this whole fighting thing is? Sure, I've fought with a few kidnappers, people from school and fellow martial artists, but-but never something like this! Why can't demons make their skin smooth and not so…so nauseating? Oh, gods, I think I'm gonna be sick!" she said.

Gojyo laughed. "You'll get used to it."

Hades sighed. "I hope so, because I really don't want to retch whenever we're forced to battle things, I mean, creatures such as these!"

Having finished the last one, the pair found Goku once again asleep on the floor.

"Seriously! How was he even capable of defeating those demons while asleep?" Hades asked incredulously as they left the room in search of Sanzo and Hakkai.

"Oh, as much as the high level of his stupidity, the monkey is quite a good fighter. He beat a lot of tough people, you know," Gojyo said as they passed down the stairs. Hades had sworn there was some sort of proud expression on his voice.

Hades took one look at their door. "Are you sure it's alright to leave him there, unharmed?" she asked.

Gojyo snorted. "Unharmed? The boy can pack a powerful punch, awake or not. Although of course he's much stronger when awake," he told her.

Hades shuddered. "I do not want to get on his bad side," she muttered.

They opened the door to Sanzo's room and found it empty. Hades noted that there were a few bullet marks on the wall in Sanzo's room.

"And Hakkai? He's not in his room either," Hades said. "Where are they?"

"Outside."

When they ambled out of the front doors of the inn, they were greeted by the sight of Sanzo finishing off a horde of demons, looking as bored as can be, and Hakkai was using some kind of bright energy from the palms of his hands. Hades could only stare for so long until a gray haired demon came and attacked her.

"Whoa! What's that bloody thing you're doing, Hakkai?" Hades shouted over the noise of the battle.

Hakkai smiled. "It's called Qi, Miss Hades," he replied politely.

"Well, whatever that is, it's so awesome! Mind if you teach me how to do that sometime?"

"My pleasure."

Hence, Hades kicked, punched, blocked, hit and fended off attackers, trying her best to remember all those things that her martial arts teacher Keiichi taught her. At first it was hard, since her parents forbade her to continue the sport in order to concentrate more on her studies, but as time passed the skill came back to her piece by piece. Finally, only a few were remaining.

"Watch out!" Gojyo called, but seeing as the call wouldn't reach Hades in time, he ran and stabbed the demon about to slash Hades to bits from behind.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" she screamed.

The monk sent her an annoyed glare before finishing off the last demon. "Can't you keep quiet for just a second?" he snapped.

"W-well, sorry, Mr. I'm-always-suffering-from-PMS!" Hades spat, the expression of horror still written on her face. "If you haven't noticed, that freaking water sprite just cut off my hair! I repeat, my beloved, wonderful, shiny HAIR!" It was true. If before her black hair was resting until her waist, now it only reached half way.

Gojyo backed a little from her. "Hey! Is that all you think about? It's just hair, you know. You should be ashamed of saying that to the one who just saved your life!" he told her.

Hades was close to crying now. She knelt down and picked up the small chunks of hair that fell. "_Just _hair! How could you say that! You don't have any idea how long I've been taking care of my hair! My conditioners and shampoos are very expensive too, you know! And it would take months before my hair grows back to the way it was before! Oh, forget it! No matter what I say, you wouldn't understand me anyway!"

Sanzo gritted his teeth. "If you don't stop your incessant chattering, woman, I may be forced to shoot my last bullet on you."

Hades, who was too angry to be provoked, stomped her foot and glared at Sanzo, for the umpteenth time. "Are you threatening me, you insufferable, arrogant prick? I thought you wouldn't want to waste any of your time or bullets on your truly?" she retorted.

Sanzo pointed his gun at Hades' throat. "Shut your trap or die!" he bellowed. Luckily, Hakkai came to the rescue. Still smiling, he motioned for Sanzo to calm down.

"Now, now, Sanzo, don't get too angry. After all, Hades is dealing with a very important issue right now," Hakkai said.

"Important issue? It's quite the opposite, in fact," Sanzo growled, but pocketed his gun all the same.

Gojyo, feeling that Hades' hate for him was transferred to Sanzo, simply couldn't resist. "My, my, someone's getting touchy," he teased.

Sanzo turned to Gojyo, giving him his icy glare.

Gojyo gulped. He loved himself too much he decided he couldn't bear to let Sanzo harm his good looks. _I'm simply doing the women a big favor. _"Geez! I was just kidding!" he said, holding his hands in mock surrender.

"Hmph."

"I'm going back and sleep. And _someone _better not touch my hair again," Hades said, looking pointedly at Gojyo. With that, she walked off. When she reached her room, she made sure to shut the door behind her with a loud Boom! She didn't particularly care that she was acting like a five year old. If it was her beauty that was harmed, everything else must be put aside.

She sat down on the lumpy bed and surveyed herself with a mirror.

"Why are you banging the door so loud? It hurt my ears! Oh, darn! I'm so hungry!"

She turned around and came face to face with a messy haired, half-sitting Goku who was rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Did I wake you up?" Hades mentally slapped herself for saying that. _No duh! Of course I did! Ugh! What a stupid question!_

"Kind of," Goku said. "Why're you awake?"

Hades beckoned Goku to sit at the foot of her bed and then spent a minute or so explaining to him precisely what happened, including the bit about her hair being cut off.

"That's so bad! It's so like Gojyo to do that, even if it is an accident. I also felt like that when Sanzo forced me to allow my hair to be cut by those monks back at Shangri-La." Goku told her.

"How come you're with Sanzo anyway? And why do you call him your sun? He doesn't look like a family relative or something, because really, you're so much cuter than him!" Hades said, pinching Goku's cheeks.

Goku's cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. "Sanzo set me free from prison. He saved me from being alone. And when I first saw him, he was glowing, so so bright like the sun," he spoke, remembering that very moment wherein Sanzo reached out his hand to him.

"Oh?" Curiosity got the better of Hades. "I don't believe it. I mean, Sanzo's not exactly the type to do charity and contribute something to the good of others…and you, you're too young and innocent. What crime did you commit in order to be sent to such an awful place?"

Goku stared at the floor and for a while, his usual cheeriness level dropped to zero. "I don't know. I don't remember anything about what happened to me before I was put in jail," he whispered.

Hades honestly didn't know what to say. Before, she never had to deal with comforting people with problems. So she opted to remain silent.

Goku then, turned his bright golden eyes at her. "How about you, don't you miss you family, Hades?" he asked.

Hades smiled. "Just call me Hae. I'm more comfortable that way," she said. "Of course I miss my family, Goku. Even…even my annoying brother Seth."

"But-but…" Goku said, frowning, but to Hades, it looked more like a pout. "Hakkai once told me about homesickness. When you miss someone, most of the time you don't act so normal and cheery. But you…you argue with Sanzo and steal Gojyo's food. You don't look like ajudging."

Hades giggled. "It's _adjusting, _Goku, not _ajudging._ Anyway, I'm homesick, a little. But maybe, my home just kinda...bores me. You see, that's where I'm always made to stay. My parents disapproved of me traveling unless they're for important reasons. They get so paranoid that someone might kidnap or harm me because of their status. That's probably why now I'm more thrilled to go see new places, new faces."

"Uhhh…I still don't get it, Hades, I mean, Hae. But…yeah…I get it although I really don't," Goku said cheerfully.

Hades laughed even harder. "What kind of answer is that?" she said. "Aww! You're so awfully funny!"

Goku just blinked, not understanding the humor in the situation.

Hades lied down on her pillow and stared at the ceiling. She smiled. "Hey, Goku?" she said. "Do you think you can help me with a prank I'm going to pull on Gojyo? You know, for ruining my hair?"

Goku grinned. "Of course! But will you promise to give me dumplings, and fried noodles, and meat buns and pork and chicken and-"

Laughing, Hades interrupted him. "Alright, alright. I promise I will. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll enjoy what I have in store for our beloved water sprite."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Gojyo stirred in his sleep. The smell of beer reached his nose. Cracking open his eyes, the sight of Sanzo sitting King style on the chair, reading a newspaper with a beer in hand, was not so surprising to him. He drowsily sat up and just as suddenly, at the corner of his mind, he felt weird, as if something just happened but he couldn't quite put a finger on it.

"Corrupt monk," he called.

Usually, Sanzo never even bothered to reply him whenever he was too engrossed in the morning papers, but surprisingly, he managed an annoyed "What?" And if his senses were telling him, he saw Sanzo smirking. Now Gojyo felt something was definitely up.

"Is there something on my face or what?" Gojyo said.

Sanzo's smirk deepened. "No, there's nothing," he told him.

Gojyo, not trusting Sanzo's words, went to the bathroom, muttering about fan-hitting, corrupt monks. He stared at the mirror. _I look perfectly normal. That bald blonde was just probably kidding. Too much beer perhaps. _Gojyo winked at himself and ran his fingers through his short hair. Then, that was when he found out exactly what was wrong.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Short hair! He actually had short hair now! (Think Kenren Taisho style:D ) What happened to his long mane of red locks? How exactly did this happen? He knew of only one person in the world who could do this. Gojyo growled. He was so going to kill her.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Whoa! You shocked me guys! I never really expected people to review! Thank you so much guys! Glad to know I could torture some people with my evil work (Just kidding!) Hmmm…maybe I should eat chocolate more often! Ha ha!


	3. Dreams

_A Banana A Day_

_Chapter 3: Dreams_

_By pink neon_

Giggles.

More giggles.

Sighs.

Drools.

Hades smoothed out the crumples on her white skirt and imperturbably fanned herself with the large fan she had "borrowed" from the inn staff. But no matter how hard she tried, the sweltering heat of the morning sun just wouldn't go off. _One day I will just have to steal that monk's paper fan. _She glanced at the village girls sitting beside her. She had stumbled upon them first thing in the morning and she had found out that they quite filled out her need for girl companionship and they had really interesting stories and gossips to tell, that Hades gladly complied to listen to them all morning. _But these girls are blind. So blind that I pity them so much! _Unfortunately, they had somehow taken a crush on one of the men Hades was with. And you could easily guess which one it is…

"Are you absolutely sure he's not gay?" a woman with chestnut colored hair asked apprehensively.

Hades sighed. "No, for the last time, Mei, he isn't. Although no one would notice the difference anyway," she muttered.

"Oh! Why must you be so harsh on him? I swear, he's the best looking man I've ever seen!" a girl named Yan said.

"That only means you haven't looked hard enough," Hades told her matter-of-factly as she took a sip of her tea.

Another one with short black hair laughed. "Normally, I would've disapproved of Yan's taste in men, but this time, however, she is right. That guy is super cute! He must be an angel! Ohhhh…how I love his golden locks sparkling like the sun, the way he holds his cigarette, oh, it's so sexy! And have you ever seen anything more wonderful and exquisite than his eyes?" she said dreamily.

Hades rolled her eyes. "Sanzo? An angel? An angel from hell, maybe," she said. She shook her head.

"So, tell us Hades, have you ever seen him topless before?"

"Is he still single? Does he like anyone?"

"What are his hobbies?"

"What do you think are his favorite foods? Do you think he likes sushi?"

"Do you think you could introduce him to me?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down! Girls, I am not his personal assistant! How am I supposed to know anything about the bastard?" Hades interrupted, not liking being asked questions, much less about her least favorite person on earth.

The girls looked at her.

"But you're traveling with him! Surely, you should know!" Yan said.

"And not to mention, he talks to you a lot!"

"He's always glancing at you during meals!"

_How on earth did I get stuck up on this mess? _"Correction: He doesn't talk with me, but argue! And the only reason why he looks at me during meals is to send me death glares for all the things I tell him while eating, which I think, he's not too pleased about!" Hades told them.

The girls sighed. "Whatever. But you can't possibly deny that he is cute, for he really is."

Hades shuddered. "You are all going delusional. Please, for the sake of my sanity, let's not talk about Droopy eyes. Talk about other things that doesn't concern evil people," she said.

Yan broke into a grin. "Alright," she said. "So if you don't like the handsome Sanzo, then who do you like? Surely, with all four gorgeous boys traveling with you, you would have at least fallen for one of them?"

Now Hades wasn't too sure if she did the right thing to talk to these girls. "No, I don't like any one of them. Not in that way," she told them.

"But you have been spending a lot of time with the brown haired boy," Mei said slyly.

Hades' eyes bulged. "Are you talking about Goku?"

"Who else?"

"You _are _truly crazy! Sure, I like Goku a lot. He's very funny, charming and incredibly cute. But-"

A familiar shadow made his presence known as a hand inched on her shoulder. "Why, Hades…" he slurred. "Fancy seeing you here."

Hades grinned. She loved the way steam was rising out of his ears and his face matched the color of his now short hair. _Annoying him feels so good, but not as good as annoying Sanzo. _"Hello, Gojyo. Admiring your new hair?" she said sweetly.

Gojyo resisted the urge to cut her hair too. Instead, he settled for a glare. "Never mind my hair. I was hoping I could borrow that…so-called diary of yours," he said.

"My diary? How are you aware I have one?" Hades narrowed her eyes. Just yesterday, along with the purchase of clothes, she also bought a worn leather notebook. And last night she had jutted down most of her feelings in that tiny thing and then hid it inside the pockets of one of her pants.

Gojyo grinned. "Intuition?" he said.

Hades glared at him. "Yeah right. Well, no matter. You won't be seeing my diary anytime soon, not if _I _can help it," she told him.

"Really? Interesting," Gojyo replied. "You know, I didn't think you'd be the kind of lady to trip down the street yesterday…"

Hades' eyes bulged as she digested this information and came to a sudden realization. "Oh my Lord! I didn't knew how you managed but…but you _stole _my bloody diary!" she exclaimed.

Gojyo pretended as if she hadn't said anything, but his red eyes were dancing with mirth. "Sanzo must be right, you _are _clumsy," he remarked.

Hades blushed red. "You-you!" she spat. "Oh, I'll kill you for this! You'll see, you damn water sprite!"

"But it's only fair. You cut my hair, after all. Or have you forgotten? Maybe you're suffering from short term memory loss too," Gojyo said, pretending to look thoughtful.

The village girls, who had been watching the fight with amusement and confusion, stared at the angry form of Hades.

"Ugh! No, it's most definitely not fair! I'm outnumbered! I'm only supposed to deal with Sanzo's insults, not yours too!" she said.

"You mean you can't handle it?"

"Ye-no! I mean-argh! Gods, I hate you people," Hades said, putting her face in her hands.

"Took you too long to finally say that out loud," Gojyo said, still grinning.

"Oh, shut up!"

"Now, now, Hades. You shouldn't be imitating the bald monk's phrases. That's a crime," Gojyo teased, but suddenly froze when he felt the recognizable feeling of a gun pushed on his head. He stared and was met by the violet eyes of Sanzo.

"Now who were you calling a bald monk?" he said dangerously, as the girls "Ooohed" and "Ahhhed' at his sudden arrival.

"Nobody?" Gojyo said.

Hades laughed. "Now who's in trouble with Mr. Grumpy face, eh?" she said.

Sanzo turned to her. "You'd better stop calling me that if you want to live to see tomorrow," he snarled.

Hades feigned innocence. "And who's calling you what?" she said in a voice too angelic to believe.

Sanzo gritted his teeth. "For five minutes, stupid woman, for only five minutes, can you not be yourself?"

"Hey! That's Shrek's line! You are such an imitator!" Hades said.

"Shrek?" Gojyo said in confusion. "Who is that? Your ex?"

Hades slapped her forehead. "Sorry, I forgot you guys are living in the Stone Age! You don't have TVs and Movie houses like we do."

"I'm perfectly sure that whatever those are, I wouldn't want to have one, seeing as that probably made you the stupid person that you are," Sanzo remarked blithely.

Hades glared daggers at Sanzo. "Are you picking a fight with me, Ice Monk?"

Sanzo felt like wasting all his bullets on this girl. She was too much trouble, and was truly annoying, even more annoying than Goku. Everything he said, she contradicted. And the grueling part of it is that she never ran out of names to call him.

"Ice Monk? That's new!" Gojyo said, snickering. "And it suits-" He immediately stopped at the death glare Sanzo was giving him.

"Hmph! At least I know what a TV is, unlike some ignorant people here who do nothing but read newspapers!" Hades said.

"At least I can read, not like some people who probably couldn't."

"Ha! You said 'probably'. That means you're not exactly sure if I can or cannot read!"

"So I'm assuming now that you can't, stupid ditz?"

"Ditz? No one calls me that and gets away with it!"

"I will."

"And what makes you think that, Mr. B-A-N-A-N-A!"

"Your insults are getting quite old."

"That's nothing compared to your 'ancient' insults. You call almost everyone stupid."

"At least I speak the truth."

"Truth my ass! You're just so old you can't think of good insults!"

"You know nothing about my age."

"Oh, I don't need to know. Forget I even asked you before. Even a person with half a brain can figure out that you're as old as your lame insults!"

Gojyo grinned. "You two are really amazing! Bravo!" he said.

"Shut up!" Hades and Sanzo both exclaimed at exactly the same time.

Hades covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my gosh! I said something together with Sanzo! I just didn't! Oh, this is really bad! It could be the signal of the end of the world! Everyone, please flee! We're gonna die! We're-"

Hakkai conveniently chose that time to show up, with an eating Goku in tow.

"How are things going?" he asked Gojyo.

"Glad you came now. I was beginning to feel very left out. These two did nothing but bicker," Gojyo replied.

Hakkai smiled. "Well, they stopped now," he said.

Hades just "Hmph-ed" and moved as farther away from Sanzo as possible.

"Sanzo, are we going to leave tonight?" Hakkai asked as he put the groceries on the table.

"Yes," Sanzo replied stonily.

"Good," Gojyo said. "I still have time."

"To seduce poor unsuspecting victims?" Hades guessed.

Gojyo smirked. "No," he said. "To buy ear plugs."

"For what?"

"To put it on when you next go on a screaming rant."

"GOJYO!"

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

The cool night air was a refreshing change from the super hot temperature a few hours ago. The group had just left the village and was now riding back on the jeep, continuing to the West.

Hades curled herself into a comfortable position beside Goku, looking at the sky as black as her eyes. She loved gazing at the stars. Back at LA, when she couldn't sleep during nights like these, she'd go sneak out of her room and go climb her favorite tree near the house entrance gates. And then she'll lose herself in the world of astrology, trying to predict meanings of certain star positions etc.

"They're pretty, aren't they?" Goku said beside her.

Hades was startled for a minute. She had thought Goku was already asleep. But it seems he isn't, along with Gojyo who was unusually quiet and Sanzo who hadn't bothered to pester her ever since they got out of the village.

"Oh, yes," Hades agreed. "See that cluster of stars over there?" She pointed towards some place. "That's the Big Dipper. And the other one you see there is the Small Dipper."

"Wow." Goku said. "They have names?"

Hades smiled. "Yes. And I'll tell you all of them, if you want."

Goku's eyes shone as brilliant as the stars they were watching. "Really? What's your favorite?" he asked.

Hades bit her lip. "That's a tough question. I like all of them. But I guess what I really like the most is that one," she said.

"Which one?" Goku asked.

"The one that looks like a horse with wings. It's called Pegasus. Now I wish I had a pet like that," Hades said.

"You know, that's my favorite too," Hakkai said.

"I didn't know you know astrology, Hakkai," Hades told him.

Hakkai chuckled. "But I don't. I just like that thing. It reminds me of Hakkuryu," he admitted.

"Whoa. Now that you mention it, you're right. It's a smaller version of Hakkuryu, except that he's not a horse. Maybe they're related?" Hades said thoughtfully.

"You mean, Hakkuryu is related to something in the sky? That's so cool!" Goku said brightly.

"That's a nice thought."

Suddenly, Hakkai stopped the jeep, sending them reeling.

"Ow! Hakkai! Damn you! You should really improve your driving," Gojyo muttered as he massaged the back of his head.

"For once, I agree," Hades said.

"Why did we stop anyway?" Goku was the one who asked this.

Sanzo chose to answer for Hakkai. "Demons," he said simply.

In a matter of seconds, they had successfully leapt out of the jeep and attacked the hordes of demons blocking their way. Sanzo looked merely bored, much to Hades' displeasure. Goku, on the other hand, was eagerly fighting with the utmost ease, saying something along the lines of "Just what I needed! Some exercise".

"Eww! Battling demons is one thing I wouldn't mind skipping!" Hades said as she fended off another attack from one particularly nasty looking demon. "This is worse than dissecting frogs!"

"What does dissecting mean, Sanzo?" Goku asked curiously.

"Shut up and just fight, stupid monkey," was the only reply Goku got from Sanzo.

"But Sanzo!"

"I said shut up!"

Goku pouted. "Alright." Then after a few seconds… "Sanzo, what's dissecting mean?"

"Argh! Do you want me to shoot you!"

"Won't you allow me to do the honors?" Gojyo said, busy with his shakujou.

"No one asked you of your opinion, you perverted water sprite!" Goku retorted.

"Hades must be right. You people definitely need new insults, especially you, monkey boy," Gojyo said.

"You need it too," Hades muttered as she passed by him to kick a demon in the face.

Gojyo smirked. "Better stay away. Who ever knows when another _accident _might happen," he said, brandishing his weapon in front of Hades.

Hades wrinkled her nose. "No thanks," she said as she moved farther away from Gojyo, only to bump into Sanzo's back.

"Can't you be anymore clumsy?" Sanzo said.

"What? You're the one who isn't getting out of the way!" Hades retorted.

"Oh right, forgive me. I forgot I'm a fortuneteller who can predict when people are supposed to bump into me," Sanzo said, voice thick with sarcasm.

"Oh, and you also failed to mention that you're an arrogant, insufferable, nefarious, inconsiderate monk who doesn't know what the meaning of 'awareness' is!" Hades exclaimed, wishing Sanzo would die with the glares she was giving him, but as expected, he only returned it with his famous glares.

"Foolish girl," Sanzo muttered.

"Old man," Hades snapped.

"Oh, boy. Here we go again," Hakkai said, smiling as if he doesn't have two bickering teammates who are after each other's necks.

After a few minutes, all of the demons were gone, while some had the wits to flee. Hades massaged her tiring limbs as she made her way back to the jeep. "These ugly faced creatures should really know when to attack. Maybe they should discuss a schedule for us, don't you think? I mean, I really don't fancy the idea of demons hogging off my beauty sleep," she said tiredly.

"Save your complaints for tomorrow," Sanzo said irritably, having angry enough to deal with Goku's questioning about "dissection" while shooting demons.

"Fine," Hades mumbled. "But only because I'm sleepy."

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

_Darkness, growing into nothingness…_

_An evil, eerie laughter, sending shivers down her spine…_

_A powerful energy that when touched brings the life out of every man…_

_The sky was a mass of black clouds …_

_A mysterious castle…_

_Corpses and the stench of death, all present in that dreaded place that had been transformed into a battlefield…_

_Chaos was everywhere…_

_Amidst the terror, the screams, she saw It. A giant being that walks the Earth. Indestructible and strong, as though it just ascended from Hell. It clutched a giant sword, glinting and reflecting the moonlight, blood dripping from it. The heavy armor surrounding its body was marred by a few scratches._

_She shivered. No one would be able to defeat such a creature. No one could be crazy enough to. Yet her eyes did not deceive her. Four men were approaching the gigantic creature, each ready to fight. Fight to the death._

_She wanted to scream, to tell them, to warn them, but it was too late. They had made the first attack. _

_Slash._

_Punch._

_Kick._

_Shoot._

_Blow._

_Though attacking at an inhuman speed, the four were simply no match for It. It stood unscathed, protected, deadly. It seemed what they did had triggered something in that brain of it. Somehow, the beast was angered. And it chose to show it off by attacking those four who dared stop him._

_She could only watched in horrification as they were physically trampled and tortured. The scene vaguely reminded her of a spoiled brat, tossing aside the useless toys, playing around with it._

_She could feel their agony, their pain, their suffering, yet she stood there, unable to do nothing. _

_At the same time she fell to the ground on her knees, the four men also fell, limp and dead, a shadow of what they were._

_She cried._

_And the rain seemed to sympathize with her as it started to pour, washing away blood, blood of different people._

_Then a shadow loomed over her. IT. It was coming for her, she knew. It wanted to kill her, like the others.._

_She would be dead in a matter of seconds._

_One…_

_It pulled out the sword from its sheath._

_Two…_

_The sword was raised, prepared to strike._

_Three…_

_The blade was getting close to her skin._

_Four…_

_Closer! Closer it is!__  
Five…_

"Oi! Wake up! Hades! Hades! Can you hear me!"

Hades wearily opened her eyes. When she did, she saw the figures of Goku and Gojyo looking at her worriedly. She was still in the jeep and it was still evening. Probably midnight.

"Guys?" she said. Somehow, it seemed like she had difficulties with the ability to speak Her voice came out squeaky and scratchy. "What happened?"

Sanzo scowled. "Shouldn't we be the ones asking you that?" he said.

"What do you mean?" Hades asked.

"Don't you remember anything?" Hakkai asked. "You were screaming, tossing and turning in your sleep. We tried to wake you up but to no avail."

"Oh." Suddenly, it all came back to her. The giant man. The darkness. The dead people. Relief flashed on her face. It was all a dream, nothing but a dream. "I dreamt."

"That's good. I thought you were possessed," Gojyo said, earning a smack from Hades.

"What did you dream about?" Goku asked.

"It was a nightmare, actually. Darkness, dead bodies, castle and…and…" Hades closed her eyes for a second, but when she did, the memory of that dream only became more vivid.

"And what?"

"And…and dead men."

"Dead men?"

"Yes," Hades whispered. She carefully avoided looking at any of them in the eye, but it was hard, seeing as their attention was all on her. "Dead men who looked exactly like you."

"_What?"_

"That's-that's absurd!" Gojyo exclaimed.

Hades sighed. "I know. I shouldn't really be worrying about it…but…" she paused. "It felt…it felt so real!"

"We don't die that easily," Gojyo said.

Sanzo's guts were telling him there was something about this dream. "Did you just say a giant man?" he asked Hades, who was still pale and trembling.

Hades nodded.

"Describe him."

And Hades did. When she was finished, Sanzo's violet eyes became blocks of ice. It confirmed Hakkai's suspicion as well. "Gyumaoh."

"Uh, excuse me?" Hades said, frowning.

"Gyumaoh? You mean…" Gojyo said.

"You're saying I got killed by Kougaiji's father?" Goku said incredulously, unable to believe it.

"Relax, Goku, it's just a dream," Hades assured him, not bothering to ask who Kougaiji might be.

"I think not," Hakkai said. He had been quiet until now, thinking about what happened in Hades' dream.

Everyone looked at him in surprise, except Sanzo.

"Are you telling me we're going to die?" Gojyo said skeptically.

Sanzo looked at him as if he is a mere five year old kid. "Don't you see? The castle, Houtou castle. Gyumaoh. Us. The battle. It makes perfect sense. That is what is going to happen in the end, _if _we don't succeed."

"You mean, like a premonition?"

"So we are going to die!" Goku exclaimed.

"I don't think you get it, Goku," Hakkai said and proceeded to explain, "This doesn't necessarily mean that we're going to die. It may or may not happen. That depends on the path that we are to take and the decisions we make."

"Geez, Hakkai, you sound like my old English teacher," Hades added.

"So we may die and Hades won't?" Gojyo said.

"Hey! I was about to die too, but then I woke up. Or rather, you woke me up," Hades said.

"Sure, sure, the blame's always on me. Why do you always break my heart, babe?" Gojyo said, mock hurt.

"Oh, shut up," Hades said, rolling her eyes.

"Ne, Sanzo," Goku whined, holding his stomach. "I'm huuuuuungry!"

"You just ate a few hours ago, so shut up!" Sanzo said moodily.

"But Sanzo, that was ages ago! I can't stand it! I want meat buns!"

"Go starve yourself to death."  
"Aww! Sanzo!"

"Anyway, the real question is," Gojyo said, switching into serious mode, "Is this all a coincidence? I mean, that Hades just dreamt about it by chance?"

Sanzo glanced at Hades. "What do you think?"

Hades fidgeted under their stares. "Well…" she started, unsure of how to begin. "I honestly don't know…"

"Do you dream of things that happen?" Hakkai inquired.

Hades bit her lip. "Sometimes…" she trailed off. "But that don't happen very often. Well, one time I dreamt that my grandmother would die, and a few weeks later, she did. Then I dreamt of the answers to my Math exam and…I ended up getting an A! Uh, that means I got a perfect score," she added at the confused looks directed at her. "And then…"

"Then?"

"Then I also dreamt of you four, the night before I was whisked here."

"Why didn't you say so before?" Sanzo said, annoyed.

Hades looked fiercely at him. "Why? Did you bother to ask?" she said sardonically.

Sanzo didn't reply.

"So…" Hades said, seeing as everybody was getting quiet. "What do we do?"

"Nothing," Sanzo said simply.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

I know, I know, this chapter is totally pointless. But what can I do? I love bickering scenes…Haha…


	4. Crushes and Misunderstandings

_A Banana A Day_

_Chapter 4: Crushes and Misunderstandings_

_By: pink neon_

"I'm hungry!"

"…"

"I'm hot!"

"…"

"I'm hungry!"

"…"

"I'm hot!"

Gritting of teeth.

"Ne, I'm huuuuungry!"

More gritting.

"And hooooottttt!"

"I'm-"

"IF YOU DON'T SHUT _UP _RIGHT THIS INSTANT I'M GOING TO SHOVE A BULLET DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

Goku pouted and slumped on his seat, arms crossed and perspiration gracing his young face. His poor tummy could only survive a little much longer. If the heat and his hunger keep up, he'd faint. "Hakkaaaaaaaaiiiiii, how much longer till we reach the next town?" he bleated.

Hakkai's ever present chuckle did little to comfort him. "Hang on just a little longer, Goku. We're almost there," was the only thing he said.

"You've been saying that for the past two hours, you know," Gojyo told him as he, too, could be seen with sweat all over his body.

Hakkai smiled. "I didn't know you're keeping count," he said.

Gojyo shrugged. "There's nothing else to do," he replied. "The bouzo's not in the mood for a fight and Miss Beautiful is still asleep."

"Is she now?" Hakkai asked.

Gojyo glanced at the sleeping form of Hades. Her head was lying at an unnatural angle ('That's got to hurt when she wakes up," he thought) and her hands were wrapped around her knees.

"Now, now, Gojyo. Don't wake her up," Hakkai told him as he noticed where his redhead friend's looking at.

Gojyo smirked. "Wouldn't dream of it," he muttered.

"Sanzooooooooo-" Goku's complaint was interrupted when they saw the approaching town before them. The boy leapt out of his seat, shouting "Yay!" but then his body came in contact with the jeep floor as Hakkai's foot pressed the clutch a little too hard.

"Ouch!" Goku exclaimed, one hand pressed to his red forehead. Beside him, Gojyo was howling with laughter.

"I wish I had a camera!" Gojyo said, grinning.

"That's not funny, water sprite!"

"Who're you calling a water sprite, huh, stupid monkey!"

"I'm not a monkey!"

"And I'm not a water sprite!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

It was too late before the two bickering pair saw an annoyed twitch and the sudden withdrawal of a gun.

"Would you _shut the hell up!" _

From her comfortable position, Hades stirred. The jeep isn't moving any longer, she realized. Before she even opened her eyes, she knew the one who spoke, or rather, yelled, was none other than Sanzo. She groaned. _Too early to make some noise…_Getting up with a little difficulty, she found herself looking at a scene she had been too familiar with.

"Really, guys…You started without me?" she joked.

The three ignored them as Sanzo continued to fire more bullets at Goku and Gojyo, who were trying their best to duck.

"It would be best to leave them alone for a while," Hakkai told her as he guided her out of the jeep and away from the "murder" Sanzo was about to commit.

"Now, do you mind if you help me shop for supplies, Miss Hades?" Hakkai asked her politely once they were on safe zone.

Hades smiled. "My pleasure," she said.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Hades looked around the village they were in. It was a little bigger than the last one they visited, and they had more shops. She and Hakkai had already finished buying all their necessities while the rest of the group was dining in a bar. So with nothing left to do, (she couldn't bother Sanzo since he had just finished with a fight, leaving him in a worse than usual sour mood), she took herself exploring.

After the long stroll wore her down, she stopped by near a fountain to rest. _Didn't know they had one here…Seems like this village is richer than I thought…_Sighing about nothing in particular, she stared up at the sky. Could Kanzeon Bosatsu see her? She did come from Heaven, after all. _Well, if she does, _she thought bitterly, _I hope she gets this message clear… "Damn you!"_

Hades then heard her own stomach grumble. _Ugh, now I'm starting to act like Goku! _ She brought out the meat buns the monkey had graciously given her a few hours ago and started to eat.

Just then, out of nowhere, a girl came hopping off next to her seat. Hades noticed the flaming red, wavy hair that's almost orange, big bright eyes, tanned complexion and…wait…_She's a demon! _ Frowning, she finally concluded that she didn't seem harmful enough. Oddly enough, the girl was staring at her food. By the looks of her, she looked really hungry.

"Oh, hey. Here, you want some?" Hades asked, handing her one of the meat buns.

The girl's eyes brightened. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she said before leaping and hugging the life out of her. _Wow! This kid's strong! _

Hades watched her consume the meat bun in one swallow.

"Hey, are you all here by yourself?" Hades asked out of curiosity.

"No," the girl said, shaking her head. "I'm hiding from Yaone and my big brother."

Hades quirked an eye brow, not bothering to ask who Yaone is. "And why is that?"

The girl wrinkled her nose in disgust. "My mother wants me to go back home and have another experiment with Nii."

"Experiment?" Hades asked. "Tell me, what's your name? Do you want me to just call you 'Cute'?"

The stranger grinned at her. "I'm Lirin! What's your name, pretty lady?" she said cheerfully.

Hades smiled at being called pretty. "That's a nice name," she said. "My name's H-"

Suddenly, footsteps moving towards their direction as well as a clear, masculine voice interrupted Hades.

"Lirin!"

Hades turned around and wished she just didn't. Her breathe caught in her throat at the sight of a tall, well built man with dark red hair and stunning purple eyes. He was wearing black clothes and bangles on his wrists. Something about his aura just spelled "Danger!" yet Hades couldn't help but think that he was very, very handsome.

"Onii-chan!" That came from Lirin.

"This is your brother?" Hades said, eyes still on the man. She couldn't see any family resemblance.

Lirin nodded happily. "Onii-ch-"

She was immediately silenced by the look her brother gave her. "What did I tell you about sneaking away? We were all so worried about you!" he scolded.

Lirin pouted. "I'm sorry, onii-chan," she said. "But I was soooooo hungry and I thought I smelled San-"

Hades couldn't help but giggle. She ruffled Lirin's hair and smiled. "You kind of remind of somebody," she said. _Maybe she's Goku's long lost sister? _This sent her into more fits of giggles.

Lirin's brother finally noticed her and glared at her. "Who are you and what are you doing with my sister?" he questioned.

Hades shrugged and fought the sudden urge to blush as the man stared at her like a hawk. "Actually, she was the one who stumbled into me," she said truthfully.

"Yeah, and most importantly, she gave me food, onii-chan!" Lirin piped in.

The strange man gave Hades a curt nod. "Thank you for taking care of my little sister," he said, this time, managing to make Hades blush. "Now come along, Lirin. Let's go back home."

Lirin waved at Hades as she followed her brother. "Bye, Pretty lady!" she shouted. "I'll see you next time!"

"Bye Lirin! Take care of yourself!" Hades said. And as sudden as they appeared, they were gone, leaving the still blushing Hades all alone to contemplate on the events that happened.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

That evening, when Hades got back to the nearby bar where she last saw Sanzo and the rest of the gang, she was wearing a goofy grin. The unusually hyper-active saying of "I'm back!" made the others stare and wonder what exactly triggered her to not act like her usual self. She, however, paid them no mind and sat on a stool next to Sanzo.

"How did your day go?" Hakkai asked, smiling.

Hades didn't answer. Or more likely, she did not hear them. She was staring off into space, little hearts appearing on her eyes.

"Hades?"

"HADES!"

Hades jumped. "What? What? Where's the fire?" she exclaimed.

Gojyo and Goku guffawed, Hakkai chuckled and even Sanzo snorted.

"Huh? Wha-Oh." Hades said as she realized what happened. She glared at Sanzo who was trying to suppress his laughter.

"Stop making fun of me, you old monk," she said irritably, her good mood immediately vanishing.

Sanzo didn't even flinch. "Well, then, stop acting like an idiot," was his icy reply.

Hades stuck out her tongue at him and said nothing more, which further surprised them, since it was as ordinary for her to say something back just as it was ordinary for a cat to chase a mouse. "Sorry, Bald monk. I'm not in the mood today," she said.

Sanzo merely looked at her. "Oh, really? Why is that?"

Hades smiled. "I dunno," she said, shrugging.

Gojyo gave her one of his smirks. "A change in the air, eh?" he said looking at Hades knowingly. "I've seen and been with a lot of girls to know what I wittingly call 'The Cupid Syndrome'."

"Cupid Syndrome?" Hades repeated. "What the hell is that?"

Gojyo smirked. "I think you know what I mean," he said.

"I do?" Hades said, looking confused for a second. "Oh, whatever." She waved her hand in the air and went back into La-la land.

Goku looked at Hades. _Why's she acting weird all of a sudden? _His innocent, little mind couldn't find the answer to that one, even though he knew Gojyo and the others did.

"Tch." Sanzo took another drag of his cigarette and inhaled deeply. He turned to the bartender and gestured for him to get him some more sake.

Hades, finally having snapped from her dreamy state, looked at the sake the bartender handed Sanzo. "Eww. I don't understand how come you guys can actually find that drink very nice," she said.

"That's alright. It's comprehensible that you don't understand anything," Sanzo told her.

Hades gritted her teeth. "Are you calling me stupid, stupid?"

"Hey, Sanzooooo," Goku whined, immediately ending their fight.

"What? You're gonna say you're hungry?" Gojyo guessed without even looking at him as he dropped the cards on the table and glanced at Hakkai. He grinned. "Straight flush."

Hakkai chuckled and showed his cards. "I'm sorry, my friend."

Gojyo groaned once he saw Hakkai's cards. Darn it. He lost again.

Goku stuck out his tongue at Gojyo. "No, you perverted water sprite. I wasn't about to say I'm hungry," he said. "Sanzo, can I taste that wine?" He looked pleadingly at the monk.

"No," Sanzo snapped.

"But Sanzo!"  
"It's ok, Goku. You know how your grumpy friend is," Hades said as she glared at Sanzo. "Don't worry, that stuff tastes bad anyway."

"Why? Have you tried it, Hades?" Goku asked.

"Nope, but I'm sure it is," Hades replied.

Sanzo smirked. "Now here's a woman, insulting a man's favorite liquor, when she herself haven't even tasted it yet. What's more pathetic than that?"

Hades felt her blood boil. "Is that a challenge I'm hearing, newspaper boy?"

Sanzo took another sip of his sake. "Maybe," he said.

"Well, fine!" Hades hissed, slamming her hands on the table and standing up. "You!" she pointed at the nearby waiter. "Bring me your biggest bottle of sake." She glared at Sanzo. "You'll be eating my dust once I've proven I'm no weakling. In fact, I bet I won't pass out before you do."

"Oh?" Sanzo said mockingly. "You really want to bet on that?"

Hades' eyes hardened. "Bring it on."

Gojyo looked up from his game of cards. "I think we better save this game for later. Their contest looks more interesting," he told Hakkai. "I was losing anyway."

Goku counted to three. "Ready, set…GO!"

The two started drinking. Hades grimaced at the taste of sake, but still kept on drinking. No way was she going to lose to Sanzo.

A few minutes have passed and Sanzo was already on his 20th cup, while Hades was on her 13th. It was very obvious that Sanzo was about to win, seeing as it was Hades' first time and she appeared like she wanted to vomit every time she downed one glass. Pretty soon, her head hit the table and the glass she was holding fell to the floor with a clatter.

"And the winner is…Sanzo!" Goku shouted.

Sanzo simply stared at Hades. "Seems like she can't handle it after all," he said, his voice a little slurred from all the drinking.

"She's grateful she didn't have to fight with you," Gojyo told Hakkai, who only smile in return.

Goku nudged Hades. "Hey, Hades. Are you alright? Hades?"

Hades groaned and touched her forehead. "No. I feel like shit," she mumbled.

"I think it would be best if you go up to your room now and rest," Hakkai told her. "Goku, why don't you help her?"

"Ok," Goku said and lifted Hades' left arm so that it was resting on his shoulder. "Ow. You're very heavy, Hades."

Hades giggled as she twirled a strand of her hair with her free hand. "That's coz I weigh a gazillion pounds. Coz I eat lots of chocolate every day and-and dessert and ice cream and…" she trailed on, her voice becoming high pitched like a banshee.

Gojyo shook his head and grinned. "She's lost it. For once I pity the monkey," he said.

Hades stumbled on her way to the stairs as she continued to sing "Mary had a Little Lamb" over and over again. Luckily, Goku caught her. He seemed like he was really starting to get freaked out by her drunken state.

When they got to her room, he helped her on the bed, only to be pushed back by her arms. "Hey, Hades, stop that!"

Hades giggled yet again and wagged a finger at Goku. "That's very bad. Hades don't wanna sleep but you don't want Hades to. You're a bad boy!"

Goku could only attempt to stop her flailing arms and wondered about her sudden desire for third name basis of herself. "Uhhh…"

Hades, on the other hand, hasn't felt so much better in her entire life. It was as if someone lit out a spark on her and it skyrocketed, causing these several reactions on her state of mind. Plus, her head felt light, so so light and at the same time, it hurt so much. She didn't even particular care about whoever it was she was talking to. The next thing she remembered before darkness finally overtook her was a pair of bright, golden eyes.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

Hades Greich awoke to the sun's rays shining brightly on her face. She covered it with her hands to block it off, but it was useless. And she regretted even opening her eyes, for it brought her a whole shock of pain traveling all over her body. She groaned. It had been awhile since she last had a headache. How the hell did she get one anyway? And how come it's morning already?

Suddenly, the door burst open and the scent of chicken soup teased her nose. She felt her stomach growling. "Hakkai?" she said sleepily, recognizing the bespectacled brunette standing before her.

Hakkai smiled. "I was about to wake you up but it seems like you already did on your own," he said. "How're you feeling?"

Hades placed a hand on her head. "As if I just rose from my grave. Any idea if I've been to hell?" she muttered.

"No, I'm sure you haven't. Though having a hangover is pretty close," was Hakkai's reply.

"How would you know? You've never gotten drunk before," Hades said and gladly accepted the soup he handed her.

"Ah. I presume Gojyo told you that?"

"Yup. Who else?" Hades said, smiling weakly. Last night's events replayed on her head. She remembered getting drunk because of Sanzo, and Goku carrying her up the stairs. "So where's the Almighty one who beat me last night?"

"In his room. He's not particularly happy that we have to leave this afternoon instead of this morning because of your hangover," Hakkai told her.

Hades laughed, although her throat wasn't cooperating very well. "Serves him right for putting me into this situation…" she said.

Hakkai chuckled. "Well, I'd best leave you alone now so you can rest," he said and precisely a few seconds after he left, Goku came bouncing in.

"Hey ya, Hades!" he greeted as cheerfully as ever. "Does your head still hurt?"

Hades managed a weak smile. "A little," she confessed. Then she frowned when she noticed a small bruise on Goku's lips. She didn't remember seeing that before. "What happened to your lips?"

"You don't remember?" Goku asked. Hades shook her head. "You did this to me last night when I went to place you in bed. You have no idea how drunk you were last night." Goku was a little embarrassed that someone, much less a girl, had managed to smack him on the face. _Hades should really trim her nails._

"_WHAT!"_

Hades' eyes went as wide as saucers and her hands went to her lips. She couldn't believe she did that. Poor, kind Goku who helped her get up the stairs…And this is what she did! It was unbelievable. She must've been really drunk to have done such a thing. _I really can't believe I _kissed _him! Of all people! He's younger than I am, for goodness' sake! Oh, my! And it's my first kiss too! Ugh! I am such a wreck._

Goku looked worriedly at Hades, whose face had gone as pale as the moon. "Uh, Hades? Are you feeling ok?"

To his dismay, her eyes went even wider and it seemed as if she was trying hard not to cry. "Oh, Goku! You are so kind! After what I…I did…you still has the right to ask if _I_ am ok!" she shrieked. "I'm _so_ sorry! I shouldn't have instilled such violence and emotional turmoil in an innocent person such as you! Oh, I'm really sorry! I can understand if you won't forgive me and if you won't talk to me anymore…"

Goku's eyebrows met in bewilderment. Why is Hades being so upset over hitting him? "I think you're overreacting, Hades. You don't need to be so worked up over this. You were drunk, and I understand that," he said. "Why on earth would I not forgive you?"

_Oh! He really is so innocent! _ "This is the first time someone did that to you, Goku! And I'm really sorry! I have tainted your innocence!"

Goku scratched his head. He was getting more and more confused by the second. Maybe Hades is still drunk? "This isn't the first time, Hades. Sanzo and Gojyo do this all the time. I'm used to it, so don't worry," he assured her. Haven't she been witness to all those fights with Gojyo?

Right then and there, Hades was about to faint. Those words Goku said…She didn't even want to think about it. Sanzo _and _Gojyo _doing stuff like this to _Goku! It was unthinkable! Yes, she figured those two are on the crazy and wild line, but for even one second, she didn't actually think that they could do such a thing, much less to a friend like Goku!

"Oh, and speaking of Sanzo, you also did that to him. That's part of the reason why this morning his face gets all red at the mere mention of your name," Goku added. _I probably should take note not to irritate Sanzo. He's mad enough to shoot anyone._

This time Hades couldn't take it any longer. _I kissed _Sanzo! Her head was bursting with all these sudden revelations. It was too much for her poor brain to handle. So she did the unthinkable. She fainted.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

It took awhile before Hades finally recovered from the trauma of what Goku told her. She was still shell shocked and the only thing that kept her from ripping her hair in frustration was to pretend it never happened. _Works fine by me. _But she doubted she could ever look at Sanzo, Gojyo and Goku the same way again.

"It's wonderful, isn't it?"

She nodded to Hakkai, the only sane person in the group that she could think of. She didn't really know what he was telling her, because her mind would drift to what she thought had happened last night whenever Hakkai mentioned their names.

"You aren't really listening, are you?" Hakkai said with a smile.

Hades looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry. I was kind of…thinking of something else," she said.

"It's alright," Hakkai told her.

"Where's Hakkuryu, by the way?" Hades asked, abruptly changing the subject.

"Oh, he's still upstairs in his room. Could you excuse me? He still hasn't eaten breakfast yet and I think he's already hungry," Hakkai said. With an "Ok, sure" from Hades, he stood up and walked up to his room.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Gojyo coolly flicked his lighter, cigarette in one hand. He had just finished taking a stroll around the village and had already made his usual flirting with the women.

"Damn," he said when the lighter didn't work. He tossed it on the ground and went in search for the monk.

"Oy, corrupt monk," he called as he spotted him reading the daily newspaper over a cup of tea.

"Shove off," Sanzo said, eyes still glued to the article he was reading.

"Can I borrow your lighter?" Gojyo asked, hands on his pockets.

"What's the magic word?" Sanzo said, enjoying Gojyo's reaction.

"Damn you! Can I _please_ borrow your lighter, oh crazy one?" Gojyo snarled.

Sanzo smirked. "No. Now leave me the hell alone," he said.

"Why you…!" Gojyo said angrily. Instead of pummeling him to the ground, he opted to look in search for Hades. Hakkai told him she fainted a while ago and he wanted to know precisely why she did. She must have been the worst drunkard he had ever met.

When he passed by her room though, he heard her voice, along with Goku's. He listened, but his eyes widened in surprised at what they were talking about.

"He's the most handsome man in the entire universe, I'm telling you, Goku!"

"I didn't know you love someone, Hades."

"Oh, I don't love him, silly. It's just a crush. It'll go away in a few days. Besides, I honestly don't think he like me. I mean, I hardly know him and all…But still, he's got the most amazing violet eyes I had ever seen! You could drown forever in them!"

"Uhhh…right…"

"And my, when he looked, or rather, glared at me for the first time, oh, I thought I'd melt! He's just so…so handsome!"

"You've been telling that a gazillion times, Hades. Can't we go get food now?"

"Later, Goku, later. Just let me dream about him for a few more seconds…"

Gojyo quietly walked away, unable to believe it. Violet eyes, glares…He almost had a heart attack. Hades has a crush on Sanzo!

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

"I'm telling you, you bald monk, its true!" Gojyo told him for the fifth time that day. "I heard it with my own ears!"

Sanzo glared at him. "I really don't appreciate you talking about shit, hoping I'd make a fool out of myself," he snapped.

"Are you calling me a liar? Here I am, foolishly convincing someone as stubborn as a mule! What did she ever see in you?"

Before Sanzo could reply, they heard footsteps coming in their direction. Hades stuck her head out. "Hey, mind if I come in?" she asked, something akin to nervousness present in her voice.

"Did you even have to ask?" Gojyo said, grinning as he saw the way Hades eyed Sanzo.

Hades coughed. "Ugh. This place stinks. Would you guys stop smoking for a sec!" she said. She had come here to apologize, yes, apologize to Sanzo about what she did to him last night. It actually took her almost a decade before she finally decided to do it and sacrifice her pride. She hoped against hope that Sanzo happen to forget about it. Of course, now that she saw him with Gojyo, Goku's words came coming back to her.

_"This isn't the first time, Hades. Sanzo and Gojyo do this all the time. I'm used to it, so there's no need to worry."_

She couldn't help but look at them in disgust, shock and fear.

"Are you just going to stand there? What do you want?" Sanzo asked.

Hades tried to look at his face more closely to see if she did any damage to him when she was drunk, but she couldn't see anything. "I…uh…" She was unusually nervous. _I have every right to be, seeing that I'm suffering from brain shock. _

"Well?" Sanzo looked at her expectantly.

Hades bit her lip. She willed the words to flow out of her tongue, but it didn't. After a final debate with herself, she figured she really couldn't do it. "I…er…never mind! Just…forget it," she stammered and went out of the room feeling like a complete idiot.

Gojyo smirked at Sanzo. "See? I told you she likes you," he said quite smugly.

Sanzo simply raised his eyebrows.

YYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Gomen for the late update…This chapter is really weird, don't you think?


End file.
